Vacuum cleaner handle mounting



March 22, 1955 5 BRADLEY, JR 2,704,692

VACUUM CLEANER HANDLE MOUNTING Filed March 31, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l fl j z/ fa 250/1 a e' r3045; 7;

March 22, 1955 B, BRADLEY, JR 2,704,692

VACUUM CLEANER HANDLE MOUNTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1951 United States Patent VACUUM CLEANER HANDLE MOUNTING Addison Ballard Bradley, Jr., Glenview, 111., assignor to Birtman Electric Company, a corporation of Illinois Application March 31, 1951, Serial No. 218,659

3 Claims. (Cl. 306-13) This invention relates to a handle mounting for a vacuum cleaner and particularly to such a mounting having improved means for retaining the handle in any of a plurality of positions.

In handle propelled vacuum cleaners, the handle is pivoted to the vacuum cleaner and means are ordinarily provided for removably retaining the handle in any of a plurality of positions between an upright position and one in which the handle is approximately horizontal. In the present invention I have provided an improved handle mounting and retaining means which is. greatly simplified over the ordinary construction and that employs self-aligning locking detents so that the parts of the structure may be inexpensively made with wide tolerances and still permit the handle to be efficiently and firmly retained in any of several desired positions.

The invention will be described as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings: Fig. l is a side elevation of a vacuum cleaner embodying this invention and showing a portion only of the handle in upright position. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the rear end of the vacuum cleaner. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the rear end of the vacuum cleaner and partially broken away for clarity of illustration. Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially along line 44 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation similar to Fig. 3 but showing the base of the handle in an intermediate position.

The vacuum cleaner shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a wheeled base member having supporting wheels 11 and 12 thereon for supporting the vacuum cleaner on the surface to be cleaned and slightly elevated rear wheels for supporting the rear end of the cleaner when the handle is in horizontal position. The base member 10 is also provided with the customary resilient furniture guard 13 around the front of the cleaner. On the top of the base member 10 there is located a covering casing 15 serving to enclose the motor, fan housing and other operating parts of the cleaner.

Mounted on the rear of the base member 10 and exposed by a cutout portion 15a of the casing is an inverted channel member 16 having spaced side portions 16a and 16b arranged parallel to each other and positioned substantially vertically. The main handle part 17 is removably held in a handle mounting 18 to provide the assembled handle. The lower end of the mounting '18 is provided with bifurcated portions 18a and 18b with the first portion 18a arranged adjacent the channel portion 16a and the second portion 18b similarly arranged adjacent the channel portion 16b. The lower ends of these bifurcated portions are pivotally attached to the channel portions by means of pivot bolts 19 and 20. These pivot bolts are of ordinary construction and have their heads exposed through openings in the casing 15 as is shown in Fig. 1.

In order to retain the handle in any of a plurality of positions, the channel member side portions 16a and 16b are constructed to serve as retaining members so that the channel 16 not only serves as a pivotal mounting for the handle but also aids in looking it in place. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, each side portion 16a and 16b is provided with a plurality of successive concave portions 21, 22 and 23. Stop portions 24 are also provided located downwardly of the portions 23. Each pair of corresponding concave portions is adapted to be engaged by a detent to retain the handle in a desired position.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings there are Patented Mar. 22, 1955 provided a pair of detents each engageable with one of the concave portions21 to 23. The detents comprise a pair of parallel arms 26 and 27 pivotally mounted about an axle 28 held in the handle mounting 18 adjacent the tops of the channel members 16a and 16b. The ends of these arms 26 and 27 extend toward the front of the vacuum cleaner and are loosely connectedby means of a cross-member 29. This cross-member extends through the arms 26 and 27 and is provided with rollers 30 and 31 adapted to roll over the top edges of these channel portions 16a and 16b whenthe handle is pivoted from one extreme position to the other. The rollers are held in contact with the edges by means of a singlebifurcated spring 32 with the center 32a of the spring bearing upwardly against the rear side of the handle mounting 18 and the arms of the spring wound around the axle 28 and having the extreme ends 30b and 30c bearing downwardly against the cross-member 29 adjacent the arms 26 and 27 to force the rollers 30 and 31 independently into engagement with the top edges of the channel portions 16a and 16b. As the rollers 30 and 31 are pressed into contact with these top edges they engage successively the concave portions 21, 22 and 23 as the handle is moved from an upright to a horizontal position so that the handle will be retained in either the horizontal or the upright position or an intermediate position by engagement of the rollers with one of the sets of concave portions. As is shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 5, the first concave portions 21 are relatively deep so that the handle will be held firmly in vertical storage position when the rollers engage these portions. The concave portions 22 are relatively shallow so that while the cleaner is being used, the rollers roll easily over these intermediate portions. The lower concave portions 23, when engaged by the rollers, serve to maintain the handle in horizontal position.

The concave portions 22 permit easy movement of the handle in a relatively wide arc during the cleaning operation. When the handle is in the position shown in Fig. 5 a steady downward force on the handle lifts the front end of the cleaner so that it will pass over the edge of a rug or similar raised obstruction. However, a sharp downward force causes the rollers to move on to the succeeding concave portions 23 without raising the front end of the cleaner. This dual action is accomplished by providing an upwardly; extending lip 22a at the rear end of each concave portion 22.

As was pointed out above, the handle will be retained in horizontal position when the rollers 30 and 31 engage the concave portions 23. The stop portions 24 will engage the ends of the axle 28 beyond the arms 26 and 27 and thus serve as an additional stop if the handle is pressed below this horizontal position.

The curvature of the concave portions 21, 22 and 23 is co-related with the strength of the spring 32 so that the handle may be moved easily from an upright position to a horizontal position. However, the spring 32 is of sufiicient strength so that the handle will be retained in upright, horizontal or intermediate position de pending on the relative location of the handle when the handle is released.

As is illustrated in the embodiment shown in the drawings, each detent arm 26 and 27 is movable relative to the other to provide intimate contact of its roller with the corresponding locking member 16a or 16b. Thus the locking members and the concave portions may be inexpensively mass-produced with varying tolerances as the detents are automatically adjustable to any tolerance. Similarly the yielding means comprising the spring 32 is arranged so that each portion 30b and 300 independently urges each detent into engagement with its locking member. These features plus the dual purpose channel member 16 serving as both a pivotal mounting means for the handle and a portion of the locking arrangement provide an inexpensive, easily manufactured construction giving a firm and efiicient locking arrangement.

The axle 28 and cross-member 29 are each shown as bolts. It is obvious that a yoke or similar structure is a full equivalent and could replace either or both of the members.

Although only a single spring 32 is shown and described,

it is obvious that two or more springs could be used in place of this single spring if desired. However, the single spring is preferred because of lower cost and ease of assembly. Furthermore, by providing a single spring, uniform force on the rollers 30 and 31 is more easily achieved.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description unless otherwise specified but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a vacuum cleaner including a base member, a handle pivotally mounted on the base member, a pair of spaced plates adjacent to the handle pivot each having an edge provided with a plurality of concave sections, a detent structure including a pair of arms adjacent to said plate edges each individually pivoted at one end to the handle about an axis, a cross-member extending between and loosely connecting the other ends of said arms for relative movement in directions transverse to said pivot axis to provide independent movement of said other ends of the arms toward and away from said plate edges, a pair of rollers on said cross-member engageable with the concave portions to retain the handle in one of a plurality of positions corresponding to the number of roller-engaging concave portions in each plate, and yielding means independently urging each roller into engagement with its plate edge.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein said yielding means includes a single bifurcated spring carried by and bearing against the handle having its bifurcated ends bearing against said cross-member at points adjacent to said rollers.

3. In a vacuum cleaner including a base member, a pair of spaced retaining members adjacent to the handle pivot, a detent structure including a pair of arms adjacent to said retaining members each individually pivoted to the handle about an axis for engagement with said retaining members, the detent structure including means for engaging said retaining members, a cross-member extending between and loosely connecting the arms in a direction transverse to said axis at points spaced from said arm pivots to provide independent movement of said arms toward and away from said retaining members, and yielding means independently urging each arm into engagement with one of said retaining members to hold the handle in adjusted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,222,971 Moe Apr. 17, 1917 1,452,192 Cook Apr. 17, 1923 2,218,161 Berg Oct. 15, 1940 2,243,812 Carlson May 27, 1941 2,314,334 Frantz Mar. 23, 1943 2,419,554 Howard Apr. 29, 1947 2,576,727 Segesman Nov. 27, 1951 

